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York Habitat build honors military families

The York Habitat for Humanity build paused to remember 9/11 Tuesday.

By DAVID BLYMIRE For the Daily Record/Sunday News

Updated:
09/12/2012 10:02:11 AM EDT

Claudia Collazo, left, gets help from her future neighbor Donnell Ingram Tuesday during the Veterans Build for the York Habitat for Humanity. Collazo's husband is currently serving overseas in Afghanistan and Ingram is an U.S. Army veteran. (DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS - PAUL KUEHNEL )

York, PA -

Dozens of volunteers Tuesday converged on a York duplex.

They spent the day hanging drywall inside or working on scaffolding outside the unit in the 500 block of Company Street.

York Habitat for Humanity hopes to complete the homes by Nov. 11 as part of its Veterans Build -- an effort to provide housing for families of veterans or someone on active duty.

"I never thought I'd be able to be a homeowner," said Donnell Ingram, who expects to move himself and his two daughters from an apartment in West York to the new home.

Originally from Arkansas, Ingram served nearly 10 years in the Army and National Guard at such duty stations as Panama and Korea before landing in York.

He said he's always rented an apartment, and needed credit counseling provided by Habitat to get his credit under control.

"When I say I'm going home, I'm actually going to my house," Ingram said, adding "I have to pay attention now when people talk about taxes."

Ingram contributed some of his "sweat equity" -- the labor that prospective owners must agree to contribute to qualify for a Habitat house -- working with the volunteer crew Tuesday.

His soon-to-be neighbor, Claudia Collazo, the wife of an Army reservist on duty in Afghanistan, also grabbed a hammer and pitched in.

"It's pretty exciting to work in your own house every day," Collazo said with a wide grin.

She and her 4-year-old daughter have been living with her parents while her husband, Michael, has been away for close to a year, she said.

The family applied for a Habitat home about 18 months ago after being turned down elsewhere.

Now, Collazo hopes her husband will return from duty in time to dedicate the new home on Veterans Day.

Volunteers began their four-hour shifts by pausing to remember 9/11, observing a prayer and moment of silence and listening to the playing of taps.

Then it was on to work and the good-natured needling among workers, between the stints of pounding red, white and blue drywall nails.

"I'm definitely entry-level," said Eric Hunter, when asked about his carpentry skills.

Hunter, a neighbor of Ingram's in West York, said he couldn't think of a better way to spend the day than by serving the community. He and Ingram also distributed Habitat brochures at the York Fair, he said.

"The best thing about it is the people you meet," said Paula Kostick of Lemoyne, who said she turned out at the request of a friend who heard that Habitat needed help.

Ray Raffensberger, a Vietnam veteran from Dover Township signs one of the two pieces of drywall volunteers signed Tuesday at the Veterans Build. The pieces will be installed in the basements of the two homes built by the York Habitat for Humanity for two veterans' families. (DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS - PAUL KUEHNEL )

Chip Hoover, a retired school teacher and one of the shift supervisors, said "It's fun to build."

Volunteers signed their names and wrote messages to the families on two sections of drywall to be hung in the basements of the homes. Those messages included "Let's Roll!" and "May God Bless Our Veterans."

To help

Debbie Krout-Althoff of York Habitat for Humanity said more volunteers and materials are needed to finish the project on time. Volunteers work every Wednesday and Friday and every other Saturday.

For more information, visit yorkhabitat.org or call 717-854-6168.

Bugler David Cover, of Manchester Township, plays taps after a moment of silence before a shift change Tuesday at the Veterans Build in York. (DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS - PAUL KUEHNEL)